STRANGLED: A Survivor's Plea to Men Who Look the Other Way
She not only survived, she dug deep and found her voice; spending the rest of her career rising through the ranks, becoming a domestic violence advocate, and, ultimately, a highly-sought international speaker and trainer.
She’s unstoppable, except for one thing. She can’t put an end to domestic violence no matter how hard she tries. That’s why she’s going public with her plea to men who look the other way, to use their voices to help women stop the violence. She offers simple ways they can make a difference, but first invites them to look behind the curtain at what women face – at home, on the street, in offices, and even within law enforcement.
She believes that once men understand what’s really going on, they will no longer choose to stay silent when they’re in a situation to safely call it out or call for help.
“This brave and beautiful story is a triumph for survivors everywhere.”
Leslie Morgan Steiner,
New York Times Bestselling Author of Crazy Love
“What makes this book unforgettable is her urgent plea to men: stop looking the other way. STRANGLED is more than a survivor’s story—it’s a call to action.”
Michelle Corrao, Author of Found and
Executive Director of The O’Connor House
A MUST-READ for every law enforcement officer, family member, domestic violence advocate and public policy official.
Alex Roslin, Journalist and Author of the award-winning book,
Police Wife: The Secret Epidemic of Police Domestic Violence
Audiobook
Listen to a free sample of the STRANGLED audiobook, narrated by Dottie, herself.
About Dottie
Davis is a graduate of Purdue University, the National FBI Academy, and other advanced training academies and institutes. She has received multiple community and industry awards for her work on behalf of domestic violence survivors, as well as earning two Meritorious Service Citations while serving on the police force.
She’s the owner of Davis Corporate Training, Inc., a private consulting firm focusing on violence prevention and expert witness testimony in both civil and criminal cases.
About Kathy
Her passion project of 33+ years has been helping people find emotional and spiritual healing through guided writing journeys. Her innovative techniques bring comfort and courage to people experiencing grief and loss, terminal and acute illness, domestic abuse, addiction, and more.
Acknowledgment
– Kathy Curtis
Acknowledgment
To Kathy Curtis, a stranger who approached me at a community fundraiser, soon became my ghostwriter, and then grew into my co-author and friend. This book would still be a distant dream without your ability to develop the architecture and to listen for countless hours in one-on-one conversations about my life, to learn about the reality of domestic violence, the culture of policing, and to connect so many dots that I had never aligned previously. While I cannot say this endeavor has been easy, you gave me the time to process each question without fear of judgment and created a safe space that survivors like myself didn’t think existed. My gratitude and respect are immense.
– Dottie Davis
Podcasts
Merging Technology, Faith, and Mental Health Support to Bring Domestic Violence Into the Light
Inside the Writing of STRANGLED: Connecting the Dots That Mattered
A Marketing CEO'S Company, Work Culture, and Parenting Reflect His Commitment to Supporting Women
The reason men strangle women is simple: so we cannot speak, so that we cannot tell our stories, so that we cannot protest men’s unfair treatment of us, even when they kill us – or part of us – by silencing our voices. Longtime gender violence advocate Dottie Davis shows what happens when we break the silence and speak out. This brave and beautiful story is a triumph for survivors everywhere.
Leslie Morgan
Steiner, New York Times Bestselling Author of Crazy Love
STRANGLED is a raw, gripping, and courageous memoir by Dottie Davis. From surviving near-death at the hands of her husband to rising as a leader in law enforcement and an international advocate, Davis’ story is both heartbreaking and inspiring.
What makes this book unforgettable is her urgent plea to men: stop looking the other way. With honesty and hope, she shows how silence enables violence—and how men can use their voices to save lives.
This book is for survivors, advocates, and anyone ready to join the fight to end domestic violence. STRANGLED is more than a survivor’s story—it’s a call to action.
Michelle Corrao, Author of Found and
Executive Director of The O’Connor House
A MUST-READ for every law enforcement officer, family member, domestic violence advocate and public policy official.
Deputy Chief Dottie Davis’ powerful, inspiring, and beautifully written account of surviving domestic violence at the hands of her police officer husband should be required reading in police academies and for anyone dealing with this issue professionally or personally.
Her police agency and colleagues didn’t help her even though she was a fellow officer. Imagine the difficulties facing civilian intimate partners of police officers.
Thirty years after the first studies reporting very elevated domestic violence in police homes, little seems to have improved on the ground.
And little has been done to mitigate the impacts on the broader population from the scourge of domestic violence in police families.
For example, is it any wonder that many officers mishandle domestic violence calls in other people’s homes if they’re covering it up in their own ranks? We must remember that domestic violence calls are the number-one call for police service in many communities.
Deputy Chief Davis’ decades of courageously speaking out about this issue have raised awareness, supported countless other survivors, and inspired and trained many generations of police officers. Congratulations on this incredible book and a brilliant life of service!
Alex Roslin, Journalist and Author of the Award-Winning Book,
Police Wife: The Secret Epidemic of Police Domestic Violence
In her stirring memoir, STRANGLED, former police chief Dottie Davis writes as a daughter, wife, mother, and law enforcement officer who overcomes domestic abuse to become one of the nation’s leading experts on the growing crisis of Officer Involved Domestic Violence.
Glenn Silber, Producer-Director PBS Frontline, A Death in St.
Augustine